Surgical tools with relatively pivoted tissue engaging jaws, such as scissors-like jaws, and relatively pivoted finger grip handles have been known. For example, Shutt U.S. Design Pat. No. 274,096 shows a device of this general type having an elongate tubular portion interconnecting a proximal hand engageable handle and distal patient tissue engaging jaws. Bales, et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,956, particularly in FIGS. 10A-10C shows a surgical scissors device in which a scissors jaws are connected to the proximal pair of finger engageable handles by an elongate tubular extension. As has been common in the past to construct such devices of surgical stainless or the like. Prior devices of that type tend to be complex and hence expensive to manufacture. Such devices, because costly, need to be reusable, and thus must be sterilizable between uses to reduce the risk of cross contamination of successively treated patients.
Accordingly, the objects and purposes of this invention include provision of a surgical tool with relatively pivoted tissue engaging jaws. In one embodiment, the inventive surgical tool is to be constructed with at least a proximal handle structure of moldable plastics material and to be disposable. In one embodiment, the tool is to be capable of electrocautery of tissue, preferably through at least one of the jaws. In at least one embodiment, the tool is to be provided with an electrical connection between an exposed electrocautery terminal connectable to a conventional electrocautery electrical source and conductive, elongate jaw actuating structure extending between the proximal handle structure and a distal jaw. In at least one embodiment, the inventive device includes a simple structure for converting pivoting motion of a hand actuable trigger into reciprocating motion for transfer lengthwise of the tool to pivot a distal jaw. In at least one embodiment of the invention, the distal jaw is rotatable about the length axis of the surgical tool for changing the roll orientation of the jaw with respect to tissue to be worked without need to impart roll motion to the proximal handle. In at least one embodiment, tubular elongate extension unit, interposed between the proximal handle structure and distal jaw, is provided, adjacent the handle, with a hand rotatable wheel carried on the axis of the extension unit and in turn carrying a flushing port suppliable with irrigation liquid or the like transferrable distally therefrom along the tubular extension unit to the distal jaw at a surgical site for applying irrigation liquid to a surgical site. In a preferred embodiment, the tool is configured for laparoscopic surgery wherein a distal jaw unit and tubular extension unit are configured for insertion into the surgical site through a laparoscopic cannula, wherein the jaw unit and tubular extension unit are of minimum diameter so as to minimize the diameter of the laparoscopic cannula required, and wherein the jaw unit in its closed condition is readily insertable through such a laparoscopic cannula and, upon emergence from the distal end of such laparoscopic cannula, into a surgical site, can be actuated to pivotally open a pair of jaws in the jaw unit to a width beyond the outside diameter of the laparoscopic cannula, to engage and work patient tissue at the surgical site.
Further objects and purposes of the present invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.